Lock-gate.



M. BUCHHOLZ.

LOCK GATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. 1913.

1,223,763, Patented Apr. 24,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- LOCK GATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 24. I913. 1,223363.

M. BUCHHOLZ.

Patented Apr. 24, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WM 0 WWW s MAX BUCHHOLZ, OF GROSS-PLEHNENDORF, NEAR DANZIG, GERMANY.

LOCK-GATE.

Application filed March 24, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Max BUOHHOLZ, chief engineer of the Government, citizen of the Empire of Germany, residing at Gross- Plehnendorf, near Danzig, West Prussia, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lock-Gates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the supports or hinges of block gates, sluices and the like, and it is the object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages which arise when rigid hinges are used, particularly at the lower corner of a gate inside the lock or below water level. The invention is applicable to single gates which turn either about a vertical or a horizontal axis, such as hinged sluice and trap gates, and also to double pressure lock gates which, when closed, meet at an angle at the center line of the gateway.

The invention is illustrated in the accom paying drawings wherein Figures 1 and 2, 3 and 4 are pairs of similar views showing constructions according to this invention; Fig. 5 is a face view, with the hinges in section, showing one of a pair of pressure lock gates; Fig. 6 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 7 is a detail view; Figs. 8 and 9 are two par tial views showing a modification; and Figs. 10 to 15 are detail views showing various forms of the hinges for the lower corners of double lock gates.

The invention is seen in its simplest form as applied to sluice gates which when raised close a sluice opening. In the usual form if a stone or other obstruction becomes lodged between the gate and the side of its frame or sill, the gate cannot close tightly. Often the hinge pin is broken by the strain in such cases. The distance between the gate hinges and face of the sill is there fixed.

According to this invention, the hinge is arranged so that the distance a is variable automatically as may be required by the thickness of any object which becomes trapped between the edge of the gate and its sill. For this purpose the hinge pin 3 is hung so that it can move to a certain extent. In the construction according to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 denotes the sluice gate and 2 the sill. The hinge pin 3 of the gate is supported on a swinging arm or crank 4 which is journaled at 5. This permits the gate to be pressed against the sill while the hinge 3 is swung back as far as may be'requlred by Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1617.

Serial No. 756,550.

the thickness of the entrapped object. The

swinging movement may be limited by means of stops (not shown).

In the construction of Figs. 3 and 4 the hanging crank is replaced by an upright link 4' which is pivoted at 5, and is free to move to a certain extent between stops 6.

For single gates which work about a vertioal axis, the same arrangements are adopted as above described for horizontally hinged gates, and no further description thereof will be needed.

In simple sluice gates as in Figs. 1 to 4, it is the distance between the hinge and the closing face or sill which has to be made adjustable as stated, but in double lock gates as in Figs. 5 to 7, movement in another plane is more important, 71. 6., away from the pressure face at the outer edgeand toward the rear edge by which the pressure is trans mitted to the masonry at the sides.

In Figs. 5 to 7 the lock gates are marked 6 and 6 and the face or sill against which the gates close is marked 7. The back edge of each gate has projections or abutments 10 which are adapted to press against corresponding abutment pieces 11 mounted in the masonry of the gateway. The gate is sup ported by a simple collar hinge 15 at the top corner, but its bottom corner is supported on an inclined thrust rod or pin 16 having rounded ends 12 and 13 which rest respectively in a socket at the lower corner of the gate, and in the bottom of a fixed bearing socket. The movements of the rod 16 are limited by the size of the opening in a stop plate 14.

In lock gates having simple footstep bearings at the bottom corners, the weight of the gate produces an outward pull on the collar bearing at the top and a horizontal thrust on the bearing at the bottom. The gate tends to become tilted therefore, so that the abutments 10 and 11 at the top tend to separate while the bottom ones come together too'soon. Hence if the step bearing gives way to any extent, the abutments 10 and 11 at the bottom-will cometogether during the closing of the gate, sometime before it is closed. This is not desirable, because if the gate is to open and close easily the hinges must carry it during the whole of the turn ing movement, and the abutments at the back must only come into contact just, as the gate is closed, to relieve the hinge bearings from the horizontal stress.

It is difficult, and in fact impossible to secure this condition of aifairs with the usual gate supports, because even if the condition is attained at first, wear of the parts will soon throw it out. If the hinge axis is set too far out the hinges have to bear the lateral thrust due to the outward pressure when the gates are closed, and they usually break. If the distance is too small, or if a 1 foreign body becomes trapped between the back of the gate and the lock wall, the lowest abutments 10 and 11 press against one another well before the gate is closed, and must slide one over the other during the completion of 15 the closing movement. The step bearing socket is thus pressed away from its pin and the whole thrust is taken too early by the abutments, so that there is a great deal of friction produced, often causing the gate to rumble, and making it diflicult to close it at all.

In many cases the bearing pins were allowed some play in order to prevent breakage thereof, but the lateral movement of the i socket relatively to the pin caused deleterious wear and unsatisfactory working.

, The new construction according to this invention obviates all these difliculties. In the construction of Figs. 5 to 7 the supporting pin 16 is arranged to stand at such an angle that the vertical component V of the pressure on the pin passes to the right of the turning point 13 by a distance g. This component tends therefore to cause the pin to turn awa from the ivotin axis with y p a the moment V4 while the horizontal component H of the pressure on the pin produces an opposite moment H12, tending to turn the pin 16 into a vertical position. 40 The inclination of the pin is preferably such that the moment Vg is greater than I-Ih, so long as the horizontal component H arises only from the weight of the gate, the pin 16 then normally rests against the outer stop plate 14 while the back of the gate with its abutments 10 is clear of the wall with its abutments 11. The gate can therefore be opened and closed completely and freely without the friction and resistance to the 59 motion above referred to.

WVhen the water pressure on the outer face of the gate rises the horizontal component H increases as the gates are pressed back by the-water, and the pin 16 then tips inwardly toward the wall until the abutments 10 and 11 come against one another. Gonversely, when the water pressure is being equalized, the horizontal component H gradually decreases until I-Lh is less than 60 V.g, when the pin 16 again tips outwardly against the stop 14, so that the gate will turn freely when open because the abutments are out ofcontactagain.

If the angle of the ,pin 16 to the vertical .is

r so small that the :momentVg is less than the moment H.h due to the weight of the gate alone, the abutments 10 will always press against the fixed abutments 11, but with a much less pressure, owing to the in clination of the pin 16, than would be produced with the types of pivots hitherto in use; hence, even in such cases the disadvantages of the previous constructions are largely overcome by the use of the improved device according to this invention. If Vg is equal to the value of H71, due to the weight of the door alone, the abutments 10,

11 may still remain in contact when the lock is emptied, but there will be no pressure between the abutments such as produced the 3g friction in the previously known arrange ments, and hence no friction will be produced between them.

Even when the pin 16 stands vertically, the arrangement still has advantages in many 5 cases over the former constructions, because of the possibility of the outward movement of the lower corner of the gate. In this case, while the gate is being closed, the abutments at the back of the gate will come in 9 contact before the closing is complete, but during the remainder of the movement the lower corner of the gate can move practically without resistance as far as is necessary to allow the pivoting axis to be trans- 5 ferred from the vertical line of the pin to the line of the contact at the back of the gate. Hence friction is largely avoided in this case also. The bearings both at the top and the bottom of the gate can be;constructed so that there is no lateral play at the actual contact surfaces, and hence there is no unnecessary wear at these bearings even in thislatter arrangement. Generally, however, it is preferable that the pin 16 5 should be arranged to stand at an angle to the vertical, as first described.

In gates with pivots arranged as in Figs.

5 to 7, and in which the closing face is in the plane of the face of the sill, pin 16 is 119 preferably made to stand at such an'angle that, as indicated in Fig.6, the resultant of the forces acting on the pin 16 is such as to cause the gate not only to relieve the contact between the abutments 10 and 11, but also to relieve the pressure between the packing bars 20 and the sillface 2 when the water level in the lock falls. For this purpose the line of the pin 16 asseen in plan, Fig. 6, 1s made to be at an angle between 120 'the lines 0s (.9 being the position of the center of gravity of the gate) and 0m (which is the line of the resultant of the horizontal component 0 a due to the weight of the gate, and c 0 due to the pressure-when the lock is full of water). Then, the horizontal pressure in the line 0 a due to the weight of the gate (neglecting friction) exerts a moment about the end 13 tending to cause it to tip outwardly and to relieve 13o the pressure between the bars 20 and the lock sill When the water pressure comes on, however, the pressure in the line 0 0 is added, giving the resultant pressure in the line 0 mwhich has a moment about 13 tending to press the gate back with its packing bars 20 against the sill. In this way the result is attained that, when the water pressure becomes equalized again, not only are the abutments 10 caused to separate from the fixed abutmcnts 11, but also the pressure on the packing bars 20 is relieved, so that needless friction and wear of'these also are avoided.

Another way of attaining the desired result is to make the pin 16 with a lateral bend at about the height of the plate 14, so that when it is moving a ay from the vertical axis it is also compelled to move away at an angle from the face 2. p

In the construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the gate 17 moves clear over the lock sill 2 at the bottom and the closure is made by a spring plate 18. The back of the gate also has a continuous pressure face or bar 19 in place of separate abutments 10 (Fig. 5) and this bar 19 serves to give a watertight closure against a corresponding fixed bar at the back when the gate is closed. In 'his construction then it is desirable to re lieve the pressure at the back of the gate when it is being opened and closed, but there is no need to relieve the pressure against the sill face. Hence the pin 16 can be arranged in this case at an angle to the vertical but parallel to the sill face.

Apart from the advantages of the constructions of Fig. 5 above referred to in avoiding all deleterious effects due to the horizontal pressure component, these constructions have also the advantage already explained in regard to the gates shown in Figs. 1 to 4, namely that if foreign bodies should become caught between the face of the sill 2 and the gate, there would be no risk of breaking the hinges. All that would happen in such a case would be that the bars 20 would be tipped outward more than usual, but no harm would be done.

Instead-of the inclined pin arrangement above described any equivalent device may be used which will provide for the support and guidance of the lower corner of the gate so that it will move away from the pressure face at the back when the water pressure is relieved. There may be only one closing face to be considered, namely the sill face, or also the gate may be of the type (Figs. 8 and 9) which is closed at the back along its pressure face. Each of the constructions described below is applicable to both of these cases.

Fig. 10 shows that for carrying out the invention in a primitive manner, a movable thrust rod or pin is not essential, but that it suffices to provide an inclined guide slot 22 for the top of a fixed pivot pin 21 in the door 1, such that the door will automatically fall away from its back pressure face when the water pressure is relieved, but can be pressed backward by the horizontal pressure component while also slightly rising.

Fig. 11 shows the use of a movable intermediate member in the form of a ball 23 which works in inclined guide tracks 24, 24* provided in the gate corner and in a hearing 2 on the sill 9,.

Fig. 12 shows a roller bearing arrange ment 25, combined with a pivot 26, which will give substantially the same action.

Fig. 13 shows a construction using a thrust pin 4;, provided with positive means causing the gate to be relieved from its back pressure face. The pin 4: is shown as being normally vertical and being pressed outwardly into this position by a spring 27, which is only compressed when the water pressure comes on to the gate to force it backward.

Fig. ll shows an arrangement allowing the pin 4 to be moved positively in order to insure the relieving of the backward thrust pressure, instead of relying upon an automatic action for this. The result is attained for instance by a toggle 28 as shown with a rod 29 connected thereto leading up to a convenient operating point from which the toggle joint can be drawn up and the toggle extended, in order to tip the pin 4 outwardly and relievecontact at back pressure faces.

Fig. 15 shows that the parts permitting and limiting the movement of the rod 4* and its stop 30 may be arranged inside the gate itself instead of being in a socket member in the sill. In this case the vertical plane in which the pin 4 lies is turned as the gate opens and closes. This has the advantage that even when the gate is opened, the moment of the horizontal component of the pin pressure is wholly or partially neutralized by the moment of the vertical component owing to the inclination of the pin, and the lateral guides of the rod 4 in the gate in this case have only to withstand very light stresses in all positions of the gate.

TVhat I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. In a lock gate, a bearing therefor consistin of an inclined thrust member, its angle of inclination in the vertical plane being such that the vertical component of the pressure on such member tends to cause the latter to turn away from the pivoting axis, while the horizontal component produces a moment tending to turn the said member into vertical position.

2. In a lock gate, the combination with a packing, of a bearing for said gate consisting of an inclined thrust member, the inclination of which in horizontal plane extends at an angle between the lines running from the center otthe upper end of said member to the centeroi gravity of the gate and to the resultant of the horizontal component of the weight of the gate and the component due to the pressure when the lock is filled with water.

3. In a lock gate, an abutment on the back edge of the gate and a corresponding abutment on the masonry of the gateway, a stop plate, an inclined thrust member the inclination of which in the vertical plane is such that so long as the horizontal component arises only from the weight of the gate the said member rests against said stop plate and the abutments clear each other, and when the water pressure rises the horizontal component increases and said member tips inwardly bringing said abutments into contact with one another.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 41. In a lock gate the combination with the sill and the masonry wall, of a collar hinge at the top corner of the gate, a thrust member at the lower corner thereof having rounded ends, sockets in the gate and in the masonry wall in which the rounded ends of said member rest, the angle of inclination of said member in vertical plane being such that the moment due to the vertical component of the pressure on said member against the moment due to the horizontal component tends to turn the said member away from the wall.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAX BUCHHOLZ. WVitnesses:

ERNST BROWN, Jr., MARTA FRIoso.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. 0. 

